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Last update - 15:44 27/05/2008 Australian town council votes against building Islamic school By Reuters Tags: Austrialia, private schools  An Australian town council on Tuesday unanimously rejected a contentious proposal to build a 1,200-student Islamic school, citing infrastructure concerns. Mayor Chris Patterson of Camden said the decision had nothing to do with religion but was based on the impact on traffic and loss of agricultural land. Advertisement "It is a site issue, clearly a site issue," Patterson said after the vote. We said all along religious issues, nationalistic issues, will not be entered into." More than 200 residents attended the council meeting amid heightened security, and applauded after the vote. The Quranic Society, a Sydney-based Muslim group that planned to bankroll the proposed school, was not represented at the meeting. The proposed school created tension in semi-rural Camden, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) southwest of Sydney. Town council meetings on the issue regularly drew large, vocal crowds, and even a protest rally of nearly 1,000 people. Tensions peaked in November when two pig heads were rammed on metal stakes with an Australian flag draped between them at the school's proposed site. During community consultations over the school, the council received more than 3,000 submissions from local residents, with only 50 in favor of the proposal. A council planner's report last week recommended against the development, but the final decision was left to the council. Media reports said the Quranic Society was planning an appeal. Patterson said the Quranic Society was absolutely encouraged to resubmit its plan if it could identify a different site within Camden. We would welcome them to find an appropriate site. I'm all for choice of educational facilities, he said. Attempts to reach the group were unsuccessful Tuesday. The mayor said the planner's report raised issues including the inability of roads to cope with increased traffic, security concerns and the loss of valuable agricultural land. Islam is a fast-growing religion in Australia, with about 400,000 followers among the country's 21 million people. There have been occasional tensions in recent years, including days of rioting between Muslim and non-Muslim youths at Sydney's Cronulla beach in late 2005 Bookmark to del.icio.us   From hunted to hunter Jerusalem camera catches brutal attack by Jewish teens on Arab youths. The will to power Palestinian governments violate human rights in quest for control.   1.   Let Them Build In An Appropriate Location But Let Them Also ... 17:29  |  Lavi 27/05/08   2.   let them build in saudia arabia 18:06  |  pepsi 27/05/08   3.   #2: You represent the HATE not them 19:50  |  Salameh 27/05/08   4.   Salameh from state of HATE 20:34  |  Stranger 27/05/08   5.   Salameh 20:43  |  pepsi 27/05/08   6.   stranger Re:salameh,where he/she lives is not a state yet and 21:06  |  terrornator 27/05/08   7.   Camden town council and residents are smarter than Moron Bum/Bath 21:10  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/05/08   8.   Hey Salamehh, where are the synagogues in Gaza? 21:12  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/05/08   9.   Muslim RE lessons 21:32  |  Yossi 27/05/08   10.   GOOD DECISION 22:20  |  JACKAL 27/05/08   11.   Good move 22:28  |  Greg 27/05/08   12.   Jackal, Jewish schools of any kind to not espouse terrorism 23:02  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/05/08   13.   Raymond in DC 23:17  |  Jackal truly is one. 27/05/08   14.   STUPID DECISION WILL PUSH ACTIVITY BECOME CLANDESTINE 23:39  |  TripleJump 27/05/08   15.   No problem: they will raise money and buy a school 23:40  |  jacobsky 27/05/08   16.   moslem racism against christians 23:56  |  alan 27/05/08   17.   Now they want to produce murderers and suicide bombers locally 23:57  |  Massoud Levy 27/05/08   18.   Responses to those who have brains 00:25  |  Salameh 28/05/08   19.   Way to go Massoud, this how all Western should react 05:17  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/05/08

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